The field of the invention relates generally to electronic devices, and more specifically to industrial control and communication devices for mounting on a support rail.
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are in widespread use for monitoring and controlling industrial processes of all types. Such SCADA systems typically include a number of remotely monitored locations including sensors, and data and information associated with the sensors at each of the remotely monitored location are communicated to other locations in the system, and ultimately to a centralized computer system that manages data collected and controls operation of the system. Control commands can likewise be sent to the remote locations using a communications network. In certain applications, the use of long range radio devices in the communication networks are a practical necessity, and thus have generally been adopted in certain industries for SCADA systems.
It is generally known that radio devices and other industrial control and communication devices for the SCADA system can be mounted inside equipment racks or other types of housings. There are several known means of mounting these devices in the equipment racks. Each of these known mounting means has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the field technician installing the devices may have a preference for one over the others, depending on certain factors and situations encountered in the field. Accordingly, it would be desirable for a field technician to be capable of selecting between more than one of the mounting means and quickly and easily implementing the selected mounting means in the field.